Stay a couple of days
Back to the group it seemed like all of them were starting to stir. You smiled for a moment and went to greet them. For the next two days you spent your time there. Conversing and making friends until it was time to leave in your departure. The stallion who had first greeted you followed you up to the tree while the others stayed behind.
“You be careful out there.” he would say to you as you both looked at the forest. You looked towards him then and dipped your head. The Stallion seemed like he had more to tell you though. “Really, I heard my mare talk about how you wanted to go to the forbidden castle.” the stallion’s tail flicked. Your interest was obviously perked.
“Have to been to this forest?” you ask finally, as the Stallion seemed to have been waiting for you to ask that. He nodded his head and looked out, beginning his story.
“I heard the rumors that the castle is about a week and a half walks from here. Inside there was a great battle once and there’s something special inside. I grew up in the forest - no pegasi nor horse is allowed to even get near the castle. Most who go there… never come back. We assume them dead.” The Stallion's tail was rather quick but you appreciated those words. Regardless of what worlds lay beyond that - it was probably what you and previous travellers had been looking for in the first place. You shook your head anyway.
“Regardless of death, I must travel there. It calls to me like a screaming voice. Like this tree did.” You explained to him, at first the stallion seemed to change his expression. He was rather curious of you, but with a smile he dipped his head to you and looked towards the giant elder tree.
“You’ll find many herds in that forest - families. Perhaps they can give you more stories. Like this tree here, it’s said to hold the souls of our ancestors within it. To keep us safe from the barren lands near the unknown door back a few miles.” You looked back as he said those words. He must have been talking about where you came from, the last world and to the next. You absolutely had to move on though, that nagging feeling in you continued the one that reminded you that you definitely did not belong to this world. Which one you did belong to you did not know.
“Thank you for holding me up. I wish you well in your future.” You tell the Stallion. He gave no word just a look of thanks as you then took the first step into the forest. Down the hill steady on your wings and tail to balance you. As you didn’t want to fly with them, their length seemed to be for a different purpose. As such when you went past the tree line and looked back. You watched as the Stallion looked once more then turned back to tend to his own herd. You were now out on your own. In a forest - with sounds entering your ears that sent shivers down your spine.
Written by Rivaxorus on 23 May 2017